Today in History [May 5th]
1821: Bonaparte Died
Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France and conqueror of much of Europe, died a British
prisoner on the island of St. Helena. According to one accepted theory, Bonaparte died of a
stomach ulcer. More recent theories argue that he died of arsenic poisoning. In 1840,
Bonaparte's remains were transferred to Paris.
1860: Garibaldi and His "Thousand" Launch Italian Unification Campaign
Following the Napoleonic Wars, Italy was completely fragmented. The north and northeast
regions were occupied by Austria. The Papal States, a principality under the pope's rule,
divided the north from the south, which was itself fragmented into several independent states
including the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Kingdom of the two Sicilies. The effort to
overcome this fragmentation and unify Italy was a complicated ideological, military, and
political struggle that took more than forty years.
The climax of the struggle for Italian Unification started on May 5, 1860, when the heroic
general Giuseppe Garibaldi set sail from Genoa with his thousand-man, all-volunteer army.
Distinctively clad in bright red shirts, Garibaldi's men became known as the Red Shirts and as
The Thousand. The previous year Garibaldi had led a successful expedition against the
Austrian forces in the Alps. Now his destination was Sicily.
Landing there on May 11, Garibaldi and his Red Shirts managed conquer the island and set
up a provisional insular government. They then crossed to the Italian mainland, where, on
September 7, Garibaldi entered Naples, the capital of the Two Sicilies. For the sake of Italian
unification under the rule of King Victor Emmanuel of Sardinia, Garibaldi arranged for the
annexation of the Two Sicilies by Sardinia. In October Victor Emmanuel arrived in Naples
with his army to relieve Garibaldi and his men. With the annexation of Umbria and Marches
from the papal government, a united Italy was established in 1861 with Victor Emmanuel as
king. Thus, the "Expedition of a Thousand" accomplished the military phase of Italian
unification in a matter of months.
More about Garibaldi's role in the unification of Italy:
minnehaha.pvt.k12.mn.us
eChapter8/Terms%20&%20Names/Giuseppe%20Garibaldi/giuseppe_garibaldi.html
The larger context of Italian unification:
eurohist.com
1862: The Battle of Puebla Occurred
Mexican troops defeated the French army, despite being outnumbered and having fewer
weapons. The military confrontation became known as "the Battle of Puebla" after the
Mexican state where it took place.
This date became a holiday that is greatly celebrated by the Mexican and Mexican American
communities:
latino.sscnet.ucla.edu
1891: Carnegie Hall Opened
Carnegie Hall, one of the world's most renowned concert halls, opened in New York City.
On the opening night, the audience heard performances by the Symphony Society and the
Oratorio Society under the direction of Walter Damrosch and the famed Russian composer
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Its excellent acoustics have attracted the world's most talented musicians:
fordham.edu
1904: Cy Young Pitched Perfect Game
Denton True "Cy" Young pitched baseball's first perfect game. Not a single opposing player
was able to reach first base. Young's outstanding performance led his Boston team to a 3-0
victory over Philadelphia. His nickname came from being considered "as fast as a cyclone,"
and reporters shortened it to "Cy."
1950: King Bhumibol Crowned as King Rama IX of Thailand
Prince Bhumibol of Thailand, was not born in the country he now rules. Rather, he was born
in 1927 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A., where his father, the brother of the reigning
King Prajadhipok, was studying medicine at Harvard University. Nor was he born to be king:
that was the role of his elder brother, Prince Ananda.
Following the premature death of his father, Prince Bhumibol and his siblings were raised by
their mother in Switzerland. In 1935, his uncle, King Prajadhipok, was forced to abdicate,
and his elder brother ascended the Thai throne as King Ananda. Prince Bhumibol was just 8
years old.
Prince Bhumibol was an engineering student in Switzerland, an avid jazz saxophonist and
budding photographer, when, in 1946, his elder brother King Ananda died in circumstances
that still remain mysterious. So, the 18-year-old Prince Bhumibol became King of Thailand.
But in order for him to complete his formal education --he decided to change his major from
engineering to political science -- he remained in Switzerland and his actual coronation was
delayed nearly four years. Finally on May 5th, 1950, in a lavish ceremony, King Bhumibol
was crowned as Rama IX.
Real political power in Thailand has shifted frequently during the reign of King Bhumibol.
Parliamentary democracy has been punctuated with military coups and periods of military rule.
But because of his personal popularity and the Thai people's respect for royal institutions,
King Bhumibol has provided an element of continuity and national stability throughout the
turbulent times. Now, more than a half century since his coronation, King Bhumibol is the
longest-serving monarch in the world.
An appreciation of King Bhumibol:
welcome-to.chiangmai-chiangrai.com
1961: Shepard Reached Outer Space
Alan Shepard became the first U.S. astronaut and the second human to reach outer space.
The first person to reach outer space was the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. Shepard's
return to Earth was viewed on live television by millions of people around the globe.
More about Shepard:
achievement.org
Holidays & Events
May 5
Cinco de Mayo, Kentucky Derby
MEXICO, UNITED STATES: CINCO DE MAYO
Cinco de Mayo will be celebrated today with parades, festivals, and dances. This Fifth of
May party commemorates the defeat of the French army by Mexicans at the Battle of Puebla
in 1862. The Mexican troops, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza, defeated the French forces
despite being seriously outnumbered. This holiday is recognized both in Mexico and by the
Mexican-American community.
Find out more about how Cinco de Mayo is celebrated and why:
inside-mexico.com
The battle was a big triumph for Mexico. Learn more:
hpl.lib.tx.us
UNITED STATES: KENTUCKY DERBY
Inaugurated in 1875, the Kentucky Derby is America's oldest continuously held sporting
event. The races are held annually on the first Saturday of May at Churchill Downs in
Louisville, Kentucky. This is America's premier thoroughbred horse race; it's the first jewel in
the Triple Crown of horseracing.
The official site for the Kentucky Derby:
kentuckyderby.com
A history of the Kentucky Derby:
thoroughbredtimes.com
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